gauravgundal wrote:Primatech corporation has told its regular customers that a short-term materials shortage affecting one of its suppliers prevents the company from taking any orders at this time. Some of the customers have learned, however, that Primatech accepted a substantial order from the federal government. So the customers concluded that Primatech's real reason for not accepting their orders is to shift its focus to the more lucrative government market.
Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the customer's conclusion?
A. Most of Primatech's regular customers also do business with the federal government. Most regular customers doing business with the federal government is irrelevant here
B. Almost all of Primatech's employeed have received raises in pay during the last year. raise in pay??? irrelevant
C. A recent memorandum from the president of Primatech requested that all employees familiarize themselves with the published guidelines for companies doing business with the federal government.Irrelevant
D. Most of Primatech's regular customer order the company's products in bulk and receive discounts for doing so. quantity of order is not the cause.. the delivery time is the problem. Also if they receive discounts, then the conclusion will strengthen.
E. The order placed by the federal government with Primatech does not require delivery for more than a year, while order are typically placed for delivery within one month. This weakens the conclusion by providing different cause

gauravgundal wrote:Primatech corporation has told its regular customers that a short-term materials shortage affecting one of its suppliers prevents the company from taking any orders at this time. Some of the customers have learned, however, that Primatech accepted a substantial order from the federal government. So the customers concluded that Primatech's real reason for not accepting their orders is to shift its focus to the more lucrative government market.
Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the customer's conclusion?
A. Most of Primatech's regular customers also do business with the federal government.
B. Almost all of Primatech's employeed have received raises in pay during the last year.
C. A recent memorandum from the president of Primatech requested that all employees familiarize themselves with the published guidelines for companies doing business with the federal government.
D. Most of Primatech's regular customer order the company's products in bulk and receive discounts for doing so.
E. The order placed by the federal government with Primatech does not require delivery for more than a year, while order are typically placed for delivery within one month.

IMO: D
I assumed products in bulk mean large orders. --> Am I wrong in this assumption.

E: The order placed by the federal government with Primatech does not require delivery for more than a year, while order are typically placed for delivery within one month.
This answer choice provide an ALTERNATE REASON that Primatech is focusing on the government market: since the government order does not require delivery for more than a year, it is not affected by the SHORT-TERM material shortage.

bubbliiiiiiii wrote: Doesn't this strengthen the customer's conclusion that Primatech has shifted its focus to government sector? What am I missing?

I thought that since Primatech is not accepting orders from its regular customers due to shortage in material supply for short term and since government orders are to be delivered in short term as well, isn't it possible that during this short term period Primatech has shifted its focus on government order to fulfill it?

On the contrary, Why can't A be right? When many of the customers do business with the federal govt. couldn't it be true that the business is not very lucrative as posed by the argument?
Please help.